I sank deeper into my chair, gazing at Ban Da-Hee. Despite taking two powerful stomps from Go Yeon-Joo, she still hadn't passed out. I wanted to applaud her resilience and grit, but seeing her lips still flapping defiantly made that sentiment vanish.
"Gonna… kill ya… (I'll kill you.) Swear… I'll fuckin'… kill ya… (I swear I'll fucking kill you.)"
"Oh my? Sweetie, speak clearly. Oh, right, your face is planted in the floor. Chuckle."
Go Yeon-Joo laughed airily and casually lifted her foot. Ban Da-Hee immediately raised her head and began spewing crude insults. Most of her curses boiled down to "I'll kill you," among other profanities. Watching her, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
I turned my head toward Yoo Hyun-Ah and Cha Seung-Hyun. Yoo Hyun-Ah was staring at the two with a restless expression. Cha Seung-Hyun maintained a relatively calm face, but his hands, moving up and down, betrayed his inner turmoil. Seeing them, I felt an opportunity.
This was an opportunity. An unexpected chance, one that could only exist within the confines of Hall Plain. But I didn't want to be swayed by momentary emotions. Jumping at an opportunity without thinking was something only a fool would do. What I needed now was cold, rational judgment to assess the situation accurately. I decided to carefully weigh the possibilities.
The most critical factor was justification. Under that lens, I needed to evaluate how to deal with Ban Da-Hee. Even if it was meant as a threat, she had launched a preemptive attack on the kids. She had also deliberately provoked me and picked a fight with Go Yeon-Joo, one of the Top 10. Go Yeon-Joo had responded, and Ban Da-Hee, unable to contain her rage, had shouted, "I'll really kill you," before charging.
From this perspective, Go Yeon-Joo had sufficient justification to execute Ban Da-Hee on the spot. Sure, there's the matter of morality, but in Hall Plain, nominal justification often takes precedence over ethics. That's why Yoo Hyun-Ah and Cha Seung-Hyun were so visibly anxious. Conversely, Ban Da-Hee could claim justification for attacking Go Yeon-Joo after being slapped repeatedly. However, the victor—and the one holding the decision-making power—was Go Yeon-Joo.
So, let's consider the benefits of killing Ban Da-Hee versus the risks it would bring. Eliminating her would mean preemptively removing a potential future enemy, one likely to become one of the Top 10. It's a tempting option, but there were some concerns.
If it were just me or me and Go Yeon-Joo alone, I wouldn't hesitate to kill them all. But we were in a city, surrounded by more than a few players. The key issue was that there was no justification for killing Yoo Hyun-Ah or Cha Seung-Hyun in this situation. They had consistently tried to restrain Ban Da-Hee, and she had acted on her own, ignoring them. They had shown no intent to fight us.
Even if I killed them all, the Beech Tree Clan was the leading clan of the small city of Mule. The death of a city's clan leader isn't something to be taken lightly. Sooner or later, the identities of the players responsible would likely be uncovered. This added another reason to hesitate over killing Clan Leader Yoo Hyun-Ah.
Moreover, with the momentum we were building from publicity, an incident involving the killing of fellow players would undoubtedly have a negative impact. Because, at least for now—or more precisely, until the vagrants were dealt with—there existed an unspoken line that players didn't cross when it came to killing each other.
At this point, it was safe to say that the Mercenary and Beech Tree Clans had crossed a point of no return. From here on, I needed to find a justification or method to eliminate or minimize the risks mentioned above.
I decided to expand my thinking further. A way to minimize risks while maximizing efficiency. At that moment, my eyes landed on Cha Seung-Hyun. Without taking my gaze off him, I immediately activated my Third Eye.
(Player Status)
Name: Cha Seung-Hyun (Year 3)Class: Normal Lancer MasterNation: BabaraClan: Beech TreeTrue Name · Nationality: Unyielding Conviction · South KoreaSex: Male (27)Height · Weight: 187.5 cm · 89.6 kgAlignment: Pride · Neutral
< Stats >
[Strength 92] [Resistance 91] [Agility 85] [Vitality 89] [Magic 73] [Luck 72]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
< Stat Comparison >
Kim Su-Hyeon: 544/600~
(12 stat points remaining)
[Strength 96(+2)] [Resistance 92] [Agility 98] [Vitality 72] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
Go Yeon-Joo: 536/600~
(No stat points remaining)
[Strength 89] [Resistance 90] [Agility 97] [Vitality 85] [Magic 93] [Luck 82]
Cha Seung-Hyun: 502/600~
[Strength 92] [Resistance 91] [Agility 85] [Vitality 89] [Magic 73] [Luck 72]
As expected. For a year 3 player, these stats were impressive, especially considering he still had room to grow. It was nothing short of remarkable. If it were just Ban Da-Hee, it might be a toss-up, but including Cha Seung-Hyun in the equation made it a worthwhile deal. The key, then, was to provoke Cha Seung-Hyun into attacking us first.
As long as Yoo Hyun-Ah was alive, any killing would draw attention. This highlighted the need to avoid killing her outright. Instead, I needed to downplay the situation—not as the murder of a clan leader, but as a mere skirmish with her subordinates. By reducing a major incident to something trivial, I could minimize the attention it would attract. And with Go Yeon-Joo's status as one of the Top 10, we could deflect much of the scrutiny.
This plan was feasible because the Beech Tree Clan wasn't a major clan. It was a makeshift representative clan, propped up by chance and likely destined to be discarded later. Most players wouldn't care much about the fate of a small, obscure clan, even if they took some interest.
With that in mind, Cha Seung-Hyun and Ban Da-Hee, despite their impressive abilities, were still relatively unknown compared to their potential. If I played this right, it could be framed as a simple clash between the Mercenary Clan and the Beech Tree Clan. By putting Go Yeon-Joo at the forefront, we could make people think, "Well, that's plausible." To achieve this, I needed to secure maximum justification for our actions moving forward.
Killing those two would drastically alter Yoo Hyun-Ah's future. Whether that change would benefit or harm me was anyone's guess. Rather than speculating on an uncertain future, I felt it was more practical to seize the immediate benefits.
There was some risk involved. It wasn't certain whether Ban Da-Hee would react as I predicted or if I could provoke Cha Seung-Hyun effectively. But despite these uncertainties, I was leaning in one direction, and I began to organize my thoughts. It was worth trying as far as I could push it.
"Ban Da-Hee! Are you really not going to listen to me?!"
"You promised to stay quiet, and now you've caused this mess!"
"Fuck! Why is everyone shitting on me?! That bastard was the one who talked trash first, and this bitch slapped me!"
Watching Ban Da-Hee scream her head off, I let out a heavy sigh. What a childish brat. Did she forget she was the one who threw the first real threat? Beyond that, she was kicking away Yoo Hyun-Ah and Cha Seung-Hyun's efforts to save her. I stood up and slowly closed the distance between us.
I casually ran a hand through my hair, glancing at Go Yeon-Joo. She'd likely pick up on my signal. As I crouched in front of Ban Da-Hee, who was still sprawled on the floor, the surroundings fell silent. Since Go Yeon-Joo was my clan member, I had every right to intervene.
With everyone's eyes on me, I spoke slowly.
"Apologize. I don't want to escalate this further. I'm not asking you to apologize to everyone—just to me, Go Yeon-Joo, and the kids you insulted. If you do, we'll let this go. And we'll apologize for going a bit overboard as well."
"P-player Kim Su-Hyeon! Ha~."
"Phew."
As I finished, I heard Yoo Hyun-Ah's gasp and Cha Seung-Hyun's sigh of relief. They probably thought they'd avoided the worst-case scenario. But there was a reason I'd crouched in front of Ban Da-Hee.
"Ptoo!"
"Oh my!"
"Ban Da-Hee!"
Ban Da-Hee glared at me with murderous intent and spat. I didn't dodge, letting it hit me. Yoo Hyun-Ah and Cha Seung-Hyun, who had just started to relax, let out screams. At the same time, a cold, silver dagger flashed toward Ban Da-Hee's throat.
Feeling the mix of blood and spit slide down my cheek, I smirked inwardly. The subtle sneer I'd slipped in earlier probably helped.
"Fuck you, you little shit. Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do?"
"Keep talking. You'll really die, kid. No, please, keep going. It'll give me every reason to kill you outright."
Go Yeon-Joo's voice lacked its usual softness, dripping with a chilling menace that promised to cut if it so much as grazed her. Sensing her sincerity, the atmosphere around Yoo Hyun-Ah, Cha Seung-Hyun, and the others froze. I heard someone faintly chanting a spell behind me, but I calmly pushed the dagger aside.
"Player Kim Su-Hyeon! I'll apologize on her behalf! I'm sorry! We won't bother you anymore, so please!"
Yoo Hyun-Ah's desperate voice rang out. I glanced at her briefly. For a moment, I almost felt sorry for her. If this were the Golden Lion Clan at its peak or a similarly powerful clan, I'd have backed off cleanly. She lacked power—or rather, she was weaker than us. That's why she was in this position.
"Player Yoo Hyun-Ah, I don't want your apology. I want the apology of the person responsible. I don't need someone else's apology."
"B-But… Da-Hee!"
"Idiot. Kill me if you dare. Just a year 0 nobody is acting tough."
Does she not even consider that the dagger at her throat belongs to Go Yeon-Joo? Or does she think I wouldn't dare kill her now that I'm here? Listening to her crude insults, I remained unfazed. If I could just endure a little longer, I'd have the chance to eliminate one of the future Top 10. What were a few curses compared to that?
"I'm not asking you to kneel and grovel. Just one sincere apology. Is that so hard?"
"Hey, shut the fuck up with your bullshit. You two pricks are throwing a fucking tantrum, huh? Giggle. Even if you beat me to death, I'm not apologizing. Hey, you're Kim Su-Hyeon, right? And you, shadow whore. You two better watch your backs. I'll kill you both someday. Heehee. Someday, for real, someday…"
That was exactly what I wanted to hear from her.
"I'll kill you with all my fucking heart… Gurgle!"
Ban Da-Hee couldn't finish her sentence. Glancing down, I saw the silver dagger, seemingly thrust in by Go Yeon-Joo without hesitation. As blood gushed from her throat, Ban Da-Hee's wide eyes darted between me and Go Yeon-Joo, filled with disbelief. The die had been cast.
"Gurgle… Grrk!"
With the dagger still lodged in her throat, Go Yeon-Joo twisted her arm. Blood spurted out again, and Ban Da-Hee's eyes rolled back. She died in an instant.
Thud!
A sudden sound made me turn, revealing Yoo Hyun-Ah, who had fallen on her butt. Beside her was Cha Seung-Hyun, mouth agape, his right arm outstretched uselessly. I feigned a slightly surprised expression before standing up with a look of deep regret, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Ah… Ah… Ah…?"
"…"
Yoo Hyun-Ah and Cha Seung-Hyun just stared, pale-faced, at Ban Da-Hee's lifeless body. Looking at them, I spoke in a low voice.
"I'm sorry about what happened to your clan member. However, she crossed a line that shouldn't have been crossed and rejected our final offer. If you understand the ways of Hall Plain, even if you can't sympathize, I trust you'll at least see reason."
"No need for long explanations or apologies, Leader. She deserved to die. Chuckle."
Right on cue, Go Yeon-Joo chimed in. She twirled her bloodied dagger, wearing a languid smile. Droplets of blood dripped from the blade, floating briefly before splattering onto the floor. I stared at them for a moment before addressing the clan members behind me, who were holding their breath.
"Pack up. We're leaving."
I tossed out the words as if nothing had happened. Of course, I didn't forget to steal a glance at Cha Seung-Hyun. There was no response, but realizing the gravity of the situation, the kids moved faster than ever.
Once the clan members had gathered all the luggage, I gave a slight nod toward the two. As I turned to walk toward the inn's entrance with an impassive face, a voice rang out.
"Hold it."
A deep, heavy voice shook the lobby. It was low, but the mana infused in it was undeniable. Slowly turning around, I saw Cha Seung-Hyun glaring at me with a stern face. Though he appeared calm on the surface, his flushed face and blazing eyes betrayed his intense anger.
Bingo.
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